in a fog. u.n. inspectors wrap up a visit to iran with little progress in the standoff over the country's nuclear program. international inspectors have returned from iran with little to show. a team from the international atomic energy agency tried to figure out what tehran is doing with its nuclear program, but they say they didn't get much cooperation. nhk world reports from tehran. >> reporter: the team, led by deputy director general, herman

naagarg concluded a two-day tour on tuesday. this was the team's second trip to iran in a month. the iaea raised the suspicion in the november report that iran carried out tests and simulations to develop nuclear weapons. the team is believed to have asked to visit nuclear facilities, but the iranian envoy to the iaea told reporters that the second round of talks had ended and the two sides will continue consultations. >> translator: the purpose of the iaea's visit is not to inspect nuclear facilities but to discuss cooperation between iran and the iaea. >> reporter: their remarks suggest that iran denied the team access to nuclear facilities. but iran has shown willingness to resume talks with the united states and five other countries that have been suspended for a year.

the foreign minister said on tuesday that iran will soon be able to announce a schedule and location of a new round of talks with western nations. reporting for nhk world, tehran. workers at the fukushima daiichi power plant are trying something new to prevent the spread of radioactive materials. tokyo electric power company will start cementing the seabed near the plant during the day. extremely high levels of radioactive cesium have been detected in the area. nuclear fuel rods in three of the plant's reactors melted down. contaminated water then leaked into the sea. ships are expected to retrieve the fuel rods and other debris from the plant within a few years. many worry the vessels will stir up the contaminated sand. workers plan to start pouring cement and clay over a

70,000-square-meter area near the water intakes of all six of the plant's reactors. the seabed is about six meters deep. spokespersons say a layer of cement on the seabed will prevent the spread of contaminated mud and sand for about 50 years. workers will begin full-scale application of the cement later in the month. they hope to complete the task by summer. japanese officials want to share what they learned from the march 11th disaster. they're planning an international conference on natural disasters. the city of sendai in miyagi prefecture will host the two-day meeting. some of the other sessions will be held in fukushima and iwate. government officials will invite representatives of countries that have experienced large scale disasters, including thailand, indonesia and haiti. japanese delegates will report

on the march disaster and on rescue efforts. participants will discuss recovery, reconstruction and prevention. organizers plan to take them on tours of the region. government officials plan to use the results of the discussions for a u.n. meeting on disaster prevention planned for 2015. parents of fukushima prefecture now can monitor in real time radiation levels at schools, parkses and other places frequented by their children. the education ministry launched the system for sharing data from 2,700 monitoring sites on its website. users can choose a place on a map and check the latest radiation levels there. choosing fukushima city brings up a list of 368 monitoring sites and their current readings. the system can also show average radiation levels at ten-minute intervals and graphs showing changes in radiation at chosen

sites. the south korean government is opening an office in northeastern japan. its mission is to help revive tourism in the region. the disaster scared away tourists and south koreans have been among the most reluctant to return. officials with the korea tourism organizations say they will open the office in sendai city on march 12th. they say they'll promote tourist attractions in the region and arrange package tours for south koreans. the office will also provide information on radiation levels. some reports in south korea after the accident in fukushima exaggerated the extent of the radiation. foreign tourists have shunned japan since the earthquake. the number of south korean visitors was down 35% in january from a year earlier. many say they're still concerned about radiation. still, people from china and southeast asia are returning.

the south korean government hopes the new office will contribute to reconstruction of tohoku. "newsline" is the place to turn to for the latest on japan post-march 11th. we have two segments offering two unique perspectives on the fallout from the earthquake and tsunami. "nuclear watch" brings you insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis. and "the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." investors in asia have traded tentatively over the last few days. let's see where tokyo stocks are at this morning. ai uchida joins me for that. >> about the only boost we saw was right after the euro zone finalized the bailout package for greece, but that was temporary. on wednesday morning trading here in tokyo, stocks are little changed in mixed trading. the nikkei opened in the

negative but is now up just about 3 points at 9465. pretty flat moves on the topix as well currently trading higher by 0.1%. many investors are locking in their gains for now. they're holding back from placing more buy orders to monitor if greece will follow through with promised austerity measures. overnight in new york the dow jones industrial average briefly hit 13,000 for the first time since may 2008. shares rose across the board tuesday after eurozone finance ministers approved a new bailout plan for greece saving the country from imminent default. the dow jones lost its earlier gains before closing, though, on worries over rising oil prices. the index ended at 12,965, up 15 points from friday's close. >> translator: uncertainties remain over whether greece and

other european countries will achieve fiscal reconstruction as planned. there is an emerging risk that growing tension over iran is pushing up crude oil prices. so we have to say that it's very uncertain whether the recent upward trend of stock prices can be maintained. >> now, let's take a look at other market figures. crude oil futures briefly topped $106 a barrel for the first time in nearly ten months in new york on tuesday. that's after the eurozone agreed to bail out greece, boosting investors' appetite for risk. iran's decision on sunday to ban oil exports to britain and france, that's also boosting buy orders. observers say crude oil futures will likely remain on the rise as tensions mount over the gulf state. and on the tokyo foreexchange market, the dollar remains little changed from tuesday's trading. dollar/yen at 79.83 to 86. euro/dollar at 1.3230 to 3232.

market analysts say that concerns about europe's debt crisis have receded, but they add that many investors are still cautious about buying euro. the european union's 27 member nations have agreed to tighten oversight of national budgets in a bid to prevent the nation's debt crisis -- the region's debt crisis, that is, from escalating. the decision was made at an eu meeting on tuesday after another aid package to greece was approved by the eurozone countries. a new measure attempts to stop nations from breaching the limit on budget deficits of 3% of gross domestic product. it will also apply to countries receiving eu financial aid. the measure means that governments will be required to submit draft budgets to the eu before their parliaments approve them. the eu will screen the budget and can request revisions. the eu hopes to introduce the

regulations in june after winning approval from the european parliament. another eu bailout package has saved greece from default for the time being, but it remains unclear whether the debt-strapped country can actually execute austerity measures. austerity measures are a prerequisite to getting the bailout. they agreed to provide the package as additional aid to greece, but the austerity plans are generating mounting opposition in the country, raisinging the danger that the ruling coalition parties may lose seats in a looming general election in april. the parties might then fail to slash fiscal spending, a pledge that they have made in writing to the eurozone. there are also concerns that fiscal reform may be delayed due to declining tax revenue stemminging from tighter austerity measures. here's a recap of the latest market figures.

modest moves in asia this wednesday morning. we'll see where china markets open next hour. pakistan's foreign minister is on a mission to repair ties with the u.s. there's even talk of a meeting on thursday with secretary of state hillary clinton.

u.s.-led forces mistakenly killed pakistani forces in november in air strikes on the border with afghanistan. the repercussions of that attack are still felt throughout the region. >> reporter: it was the worst setback year for relations between the two allies. on november 26th, u.s. fighter jets and helicopters stationed in afghanistan mistakenly attack two pakistani checkpoints along the border. the attacks left as many as 24 pakistani soldiers dead. pakistan soon stopped medical supply convoys from crossing into afghanistan. more than 6,000 trucks and trailers used to transport supplies and fuel to mul multinational troops stationed in afghanistan are parked here. the buildup of these supply trucks began just under three months. now there are so many trucks

they are spilling over from the port area. >> translator: the trucks parked in the residential area could accidentally catch fire. they are unsafe, very dangerous, blocking the streets and a nuisance. >> reporter: until the attacks, truck from pakistan were delivering nearly half of the supplies used by nato forces in afghanistan. certainly the u.s. had no choice but to bring in more goods through uzbekistan and pakistan by air. this reportedly pushed up the cost of delivery by as much as six times. the u.s. has been urging pakistan to reopen its borders. pakistan's business sector is also expressing concern about the long-term effects. >> translator: the transport

blockade may be sending out an important message to pakistan politically, but economically the loss is huge. >> reporter: while government and business leaders try to resolve the problem, thousands of truck drivers remain stranded. this man says he's frustrated at the government's handling of the situation. he calls his family back home as he considers his options. >> translator: we're already in heavy debt, but i want you to ask someone to lend us some money. we can pay it back as soon as the supply route reopens. >> translator: i can't work so we have to borrow money just to buy food. if the route is not reopened,

the government must find another way for us to feed our families. >> reporter: the pakistani government is considering lifting the transportation ban, but also imposing a toll. however, anger and anti-u.s. sentiment remains high. reporting for nhk world, karachi. in other news south korean diplomats are trying to help out north koreans stranded in china. chinese authorities recently arrested 30 defectors from the north. they plan to send them back. activists say the people will be punished if they return. a south korean foreign ministry spokesperson said diplomats will raise the issue next week in geneva at a meeting of the u.n. human rights council. meantime, they're asking china to treat defectors from the north humanely. many south koreans are concerned about the plight of defectors. 23,000 people who have fled the north now call the south the home.

about 50 north korean defectors and supporters held a rally tuesday outside the chinese embassy in seoul. they demanded that china stop the deportations. the protesters said if they are sent back, they will be killed along with their families. chinese authorities maintained that defectors are illegal immigrants and not refugees. japan and australia have held their first meeting about whether japan should join talks on the transpacific partnership free trade agreement. government officials from the two countries met in canberra on tuesday. australian officials said they welcomed the start of japan's consultations for joining the talk, but they stopped short of expressing support for japan actually participating in the free trade negotiations. they stressed that a principle of the agreement is that all goods are tariff free including farm products. the two sides agreed to continue

discussions on the requirements japan must fulfill to join the talks. six out of nine countries that are already in the negotiations have so far expressed support for japan's participation. the british royal family is celebrating a milestone. the diamond jubilee of queen elizabeth. february 6th was the 60th anniversary of her taking the thne. britons are planning many celebrations for later this year. japan, like the rest of the world, will be following closely. nhk world reports from london. >> reporter: 60 years on the throne. the date of her accession is also the anniversary of the death of her father, king george vi. so there were no major celebrations. instead, she visited a local school.

queen elizabeth ii came to the throne in 1952. only one previous british monarch has reigned longer than her, queen victoria, whose name is synonymous with the heyday of the british empire. at 85, queen elizabeth is the oldest ruler in british history. with her health still strong, there has been no let-up in her busy schedule of royal duties. there's a growing mood of jubilation in britain. ahead of festivities in june. many mementos are already on sale including photo books of the queen and newly minted medallions. >> proud that she's lived that long.

i'm quite happy about it. >> i like the queen. i think she does a lot for the country. i like our monarchy as well. yeah, i support it, definitely. >> hello. >> reporter: terry hut is a major fan of the royal family. he lives outside cambridge. in the east of england. he made numerous trips to events attended by the queen. a photo of him presenting her with a bouquet was included in the popular book of royal photographs. for hart, the chance to be in the crowd and address the queen directly is one of his most treasured memories. he came to celebrate her 60-year reign. >> it's a big event this year, a special event. i am looking forward to it. >> reporter: a four-day holiday

has been declared for early june with celebrations planned across the whole country. one event will be held in the middle of london on the river thames. 1,000 boats will gather for a procession down the river with queen elizabeth traveling on the royal barge. her long-standing devotion to her duties has won her the support and respect of people in britain. >> it's a chance for them also to look back over the last 60 years and to celebrate where we are today and to wave the flag and to cheer not only the queen but also be proud of being british. >> reporter: as britain gears up for this historic occasion, people around the world and in japan will also be following the events with interest. i'm toru gotoo, nhk world, london. >> a very big year for britain.

just when i thought spring had arrived here in tokyo, it's getting chilly again. sako mori joins us with the weather forecast. >> quite warm yesterday here in tokyo. today it's going to be a few degrees lower than yesterday, but at least dry weather will continue all day today. but things will change from tomorrow. we've got a frontal line moving in from the west, and that's going to spread rain in the kanto area within the next 24 hours. currently heavy rain and thunderstorms as well as gusty winds are impacting much of western japan up to 100 millimeters is expected in the next 24 hours. the rain is going to be spreading into the kanto area by tomorrow morning. rain could become heavy at times, and then that will expand to northern japan, hokkaido could be seeing some snow starting thursday afternoon. as we pull back, the same system will continue to produce light to moderate precipitation in southern china.

down towards the south, a tropical depression has brought a lot of rain in southern vietnam. but it looks like it's going to ge drier here, so that's good news. as for the philippines, min dan ow will see showers over the course of the day. 33 in bangkok. up to 20 in hong kong with some light showers. 10 and 9 degrees ditches in expected in tokyo. heading over to the americas. mostly sunny and settled over most of the southern half of the u.s., but there are a few storms through the north. a slow moving system is moving into british columbia and the northwestern states are producing winter storm conditions. heavy mountain snow can be found in many locations, but exceptions are going to be the cascade and olympic mountains where we're looking at flooding rain rather than snow. so that could lead to avalanches. as i said, it's a very slow moving system. so the stormy conditions here

will continue in to wednesday night. and we also have another system moving across the great lakes. so new england and quebec will start to see a wintry mix within the next 24 hours. down towards the south, showers will develop in the southern appalachians and the tennessee valley on wednesday. the exceptional warmth will continue in many locations, getting up to 14 degrees in new york, which is about ten degrees higher than average. and hitting 22 degrees in oklahoma city. and 16 degrees expected in denver with partly sunny skies. finally let's go over t europe. an active low pressure system is moving through the british isles bringing extremely strong winds and heavy rain in much of the region. in scotland, wind gusts exceeded 100 kilometers per hour. as the system pushes on to the east, much of the scandinavian region and the baltic states will start to see slushy and windy conditions on wednesday. down towards the south,

unsettled conditions in the central mediterranean will continue but things will start to settle down on thursday here. getting warmer across many places, we expect 11 degrees in london and 10 in paris, 8 degrees in vienna, and in moscow, a couple of degrees higher than average with minus 1 degree. here is your extended forecast.

our lead stories this hour, workers at the fukushima daiichi power plant are trying something new to prevent the spread of radioactive materials. tokyo electric power company will start cementing the seabed

near the plant during the day. extremely high levels of radioactive cesium have been detected in the area. nuclear fuel rods in three of the plant's reactors melted down. contaminated water then leaked into the sea. ships are expected to retrieve the fuel rods and other debris from the plant within a few years. many worry the vessels will stir up the contaminated sand. workers plan to start pouring cement and clay over a 70,000-square-meter area near the water intakes of all six of the plant's reactors. the seabed is about six meters deep. spokespersons say a layer of cement on the seabed will prevent the spread of contaminated mud and sand for about 50 years. workers will begin full scale application of the cement later in the month. they hope to complete the task by summer. japanese officials want to share what they learned from the march 11th disaster. they're planning an international conference on natural disasters.

the city of sendai in miyagi prefecture will host government ministers this july. officials from the united nations and the world bank will help organize the two-day meeting. some of the sessions will be held in two other prefectures hit by the disaster, fukushima and iwate. government officials will invite representatives of countries that have experienced large scale disasters including thailand, indonesia and haiti. japanese delegates will report on the damage from the march disaster and on rescue efforts. participants will also discuss recovery, reconstruction and prevention. organizers plan to take them on tours of the region. government officials plan to use the results of the discussions for a u.n. meeting on disaster prevention planned for 2015. that's all for this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. do stay with us.